Saleena: dessert

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pecans

When contemplating what to contribute to the Thanksgiving feast at the in-laws, I thought about bringing a dessert, (hence the Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Whip Cream and Oreo Cookie Crust), but typically, that's what most people bring. I wanted to do something different, so I decided to prepare something for an appetizer. Just a little something for guests to nibble on before the great feast. I found two great nut recipes that are sure to be a hit. The first I found here.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 egg whites
1 lb. of pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Melt butter and spread on a cookie sheet. Then pour the pecans into a large bowl.

Mix in all of the other ingredients, then spread in the pan making sure that the pecans are spread out flat. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour or until dry.

Stir the pecans every 10 minutes during cooking so that the sugar mixture coats the pecans well. (I only stirred them once...10 minutes before they were done, but they still turned out great!) Be sure not to overcook them or they will taste burned.As soon as they look dry, remove from oven. Cool and store in an air tight container.

And don't they look delicious? I had Matt try one, and he didn't want to stop! I almost had to use force.

These are SO simple, and SO tasty. Perfect for the busy holiday season!

<3 Saleena

Strawberry & Banana Nutella Crepes

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you feel like eating dessert for breakfast? Please tell me I'm not alone in this! I found this recipe, and decided it was worth repeating...again and again. The only downside to making crepes is the time it takes. If you don't want to sit in front of the stove for an hour cooking one at a time, I would have two pans going, like I did after cooking the first few. The upside to making crepes is you don't have to own a crepe maker! Granted, they may not be as pretty, but your taste buds will agree they are just as delightful. This recipe serves four.

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cup soymilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 whole bananas, peeled and sliced

10 strawberries, sliced
4 Tbsp Nutella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place soy milk, flour, egg whites and water into a bowl and whisk rapidly until well-combined. I used my kitchen-aid stand mixer for this.

Heat a medium-sized, shallow skillet on medium heat. Melt 1/2 tsp of butter in the pan and pour 2 Tbsp of batter in the center of the skillet and lean/swirl the pan to spread out the batter as thin as possible

When the edges begin to look dry, lift with a fork to check the color. Once the crepe is golden brown on the bottom, using the fork on the edge and flip until both sides are golden brown. When cooked, place on a cookie sheet in the oven. Continue this process with the butter, pan and then cookie sheet until all the batter is used.